| Vanyi Breaks, Bedra Ties Single-Season Home Run Mark in Pair of Losses to Pitt |
| Wednesday, April 30 2008 |
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| Pittsburgh, Pa. -- Freshman Rochelle Vanyi broke the Youngstown State single-season home run record with her 11th of the season in game one and senior McKenzie Bedra tied the mark in game two but the Penguins softball team dropped a doubleheader to Pittsburgh, 11-3, 8-2, on Tuesday afternoon. The Penguins fall to 11-33 while the Panthers improve to 29-20. In the opener, Vanyi went 3-for-4 and hit a solo home run in the top of the third inning to bring the Guins within two, 3-1. In the top of the fifth and trailing 4-1, a single by Kristin Bair and a sacrifice fly by Katy Potokar cut the deficit to 4-3. Pitt, however, scored four in the bottom half of the fifth and three more in the sixth to enforce the mercy rule. In the nightcap, Bedra's two-run blast put the Penguins up 2-0 but the Guins would not score again. YSU closes out the regular season with a three-game series against Green Bay, May 3-4, in Green Bay, Wis. |
| McKenzie Bedra Named Horizon League Softball Player of the Week |
| Monday, April 28 2008 |
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| Indianapolis, Ind. -- Youngstown State senior McKenzie Bedra has been named the Horizon League Softball Player of the Week, the league announced on Monday. Bedra led the Guins to a 3-4 record last week after posting a .524 batting average with four home runs, a double and 10 RBIs. Bedra also stole her first base of the season. She turned in a 3-for-4 performance against Saint Francis (Pa.) blasting a home run and a double with five runs batted in. She cranked two home runs and drove in four in a 3-for-4 outing in a 7-2 win over Valparaiso. Bedra also tied the school’s single-season home run record (10) with a two-run shot in a 13-5 loss to Valparaiso. For the week, Bedra recorded an impressive 1.143 slugging percentage and became YSU’s all-time leader in runs batted in last week. She owns the record with 117. YSU visits Pittsburgh, Tuesday, April 29, at 2 p.m. |
| Bedra's Blasts Lead Softball to Split |
| Sunday, April 27 2008 |
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| Valparaiso, Ind. -- Senior McKenzie Bedra belted two home runs in the same game for the third time in her career to lead the Youngstown State softball team (11-30, 5-13 Horizon League) to a 7-2 victory in game two of a doubleheader split against Valparaiso (28-15, 10-4 Horizon League) on Saturday afternoon at the VU Softball Field. The Penguins lost the opener, 4-1. Bedra, who went 3-for-4 with four RBIs, hit a three-run shot in the top of the fifth inning and a solo bomb in the top of the seventh inning. Sophomore Cheryl Cale picked up her seventh win of the season yielding just five hits and on earned run through six innings. The Penguins jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the third after Kristen McDonnell tripled home Katy Potokar and Bedra, who both posted two out singles, and Jamie Fornal drove in McDonnell with a single to left-center field. In the opener, McDonnell belted her fifth home run of the season in the top of the second inning for the Guins' lone run. Senior Becky Hibner allowed just five hits and one earned run in 4.1 innings and suffered the hard luck loss. The Penguins and Crusaders conclude the series, Sunday, at Noon (EDT). |
| Bedra, Hibner Lead Guins to Sweep of Saint Francis (Pa.) |
| Friday, April 25 2008 |
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| Canfield, Ohio -- Senior Becky Hibner picked up her first career victory in game one and drove in the go-ahead runs in game two and classmate McKenzie Bedra went 3-for-4 with five RBIs in the nightcap to lead the Youngstown State softball team to a sweep of Saint Francis (Pa.), 4-3, 11-3, on Wednesday afternoon at McCune Park. The Penguins improve to 10-29 while the Red Flash fall to 17-31. Hibner held the Red Flash in check for 6.1 innings and allowed just four hits while fanning two. Sophomore Cheryl Cale picked up her first career save after collecting the final two outs of the game. The Penguins struck early with two runs in the bottom of the first to take a 2-0 lead. Freshman Rochelle Vanyi and sophomore Kristin Bair led off with back-to-back doubles and Bedra singled to plate Bair with the second run. Freshman Katy Potokar put the Guins up four with a two-run home run in the bottom of the third inning. The Red Flash finally got to Hibner in the top of the seventh when they scored three runs, including a two-run home run by Richelle Hall. In the nightcap, the Penguins trailed 3-1 in the fourth before using a seven-run frame to take an 8-3 lead. Bedra led off the frame with her 30th career home run - a solo shot.- to cut the lead to 3-2. With runners at second and third and two outs, Hibner singled right field to score Kristen McDonnell and Bethany Hafley with the go-ahead run. Including Hibner's single, the Penguins tallied five straight two-out hits capped by Bedra's bases-clearing double to take an 8-3 lead. The Guins posted three more runs in the bottom of the fifth to enforce the mercy rule. McDonnell doubled to left field to lead off the frame and Hibner singled to right to score McDonnell. Vanyi singled through the left side to plate Hafley and Bedra's two-out, bases-loaded single to center scored Hibner for the Guins' 11th run. The Penguins visit Valparaiso, April 26-27, for a three-game series. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m. EDT on Saturday. |
| Cale's Three-Hit Shutout Salvages Doubleheader Split Against Butler |
| Sunday, April 20 2008 |
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| Canfield, Ohio -- Sophomore Cheryl Cale fired a three-hit, complete-game shutout to lead the Youngstown State softball team to a 1-0 victory over Butler (16-22, 5-7 Horizon League) on Saturday afternoon at McCune Park. The Penguins (7-27, 3-12 Horizon League) lost the opener, 5-4. Cale, who struck out six and did not allow a walk, allowed just one hit through four innings and faced the minimum batters through 4.1 innings. In the bottom of the second, senior McKenzie Bedra led off the frame with a double to second and Jamie Fornal followed with a walk. After Allyse Ledford's sacrifice bunt moved runners to second and third, Bethany Halfey was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Bedra scored on a wild pitch but Butler's Nikki Nafzigger squelched the rest of the Penguins threat. In the opener, the Penguins jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Katy Potokar squeezed home Rochelle Vanyi, who doubled, and Fornal's two-out single plated Potokar. Butler's Jenny Jacobs knotted the game with a two-run home run in the top of the second and the Bulldogs added runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh to take a 5-2 lead. Ledford was hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom of the seventh and junior Kristen McDonnell doubled to center and pushed Shauna Barry, who pinch-ran for Ledford, to third base. Vanyi hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Barry and advanced McDonnell to third. Kristin Bair's single up the middle plated McDonnell and brought the Guins within one, 5-4. Katy Potokar, though, flied out the center to end the game. The Penguins and Bulldogs will close out the series with a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m. |
| Vanyi Ties Single-Game Homer Mark In Doubleheader Loss to Cleveland State |
| Wednesday, April 16 2008 |
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| Canfield, Ohio -- Youngstown State freshman Rochelle Vanyi tied a single-game record with two home runs in a 6-2 loss in game two of a doubleheader sweep by Cleveland State on Tuesday afternoon at McCune Park. The Guins also lost the opener, 5-1. The Penguins fall to 6-24 overall and 2-11 in the Horizon League. Cleveland State improves to 20-9 overall and 8-2 in the league. Vanyi, who went 3-for-3, belted her seventh home run of the season to lead off the bottom of the first inning to put the Penguins ahead 1-0. After the Vikings to a 3-1 lead in the top of the second frame, Vanyi hit her second solo blast - her eighth home run - in the bottom of the third inning to cut the deficit to 3-2. Cleveland State, however, answered with three more runs in the top of the fourth. In the opener, senior Becky Hibner turned in a gutsy complete-game performance but was the hard-luck loser. Hibner, who made just her third career appearance, scattered eight hits and allowed just three earned runs. Cleveland State's Amanda Macenko, who picked up the victory in both games, allowed just three hits, one a solo home run from senior McKenzie Bedra. The Penguins visit Robert Morris, Thursday, April 17. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. in Moon Township, Pa. |
| Softball Falls For Third Time to Wright State |
| Monday, April 14 2008 |
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| Canfield, Ohio -- The Youngstown State softball team (6-22, 2-9 Horizon League) fell to Wright State for the third straight time after falling 13-3 in five innings on Sunday afternoon at McCune Park. The Raiders improved to 20-17 overall and 8-2 in the Horizon League. Wright State's Mollie Berry put the Raiders on the board with a two-out, two-run home run in the top of the second inning and gave WSU a 2-0 lead. The Penguins answered with two runs in the bottom half of the frame to knot the score at 2-2. Freshman Rochelle Vanyi walked with the bases loaded to cut the deficit in half and sophomore Kristin Bair's ground out scored Allyse Ledford, who walked. Justine Stilt hit a three-run home run in the top of the third put the Raiders back on top 5-3 and a grand slam as part of a five-run fourth inning to put the Raiders ahead 10-3. Wright State added three more runs in the top of the fifth to reach the eight-run mercy rule. YSU hosts Cleveland State, Tuesday, April 15, at 3 p.m. |
| Klonowski's Granny Powers Guins to Comeback, Split at Toledo |
| Thursday, April 10 2008 |
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| Toledo, Ohio -- Freshman Kim Klonowski hit a two-out, pinch-hit grand slam in the top of the sixth inning of game one to catapult the Youngstown State softball team (6-19) to a 14-12 come-from-behind victory over Toledo on Wednesday afternoon at Scott Park. The Penguins lost the nightcap, 13-5. Klonowski's home run, the first of her career, is just the ninth grand slam in school history. Trailing 11-3 after four innings, the Penguins, who set the single-game RBI record, scored five runs in the fifth, five in the sixth and one in the seventh to rally for the victory. In the sixth, freshman Katy Potokar, who went 3-for-5, doubled to right-center field and advanced Kristin Bair to third. After McKenzie Bedra was intentionally walked, senior Jamie Fornal singled home Bair to bring the Guins within three, 12-9, and set up Klonowski's grand slam. Bair hit her first career home run - a three-run shot - in the top of the fifth inning to cut the Penguins deficit to 11-6. Bethany Hafley's single to center plated Bedra and Fornal to bring the Guins with three, 11-8. Toledo answered with a run in the bottom of the fifth to extend its lead to 12-8. The Guins return home to host Wright State, Saturday, April 12, at 1 p.m. |
| Softball Falls Twice to UIC, 5-2, 7-2 |
| Sunday, April 6 2008 |
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| Canfield, Ohio -- UIC scored three runs in the top of the seventh to break a 2-2 tie and lift the Flames to a 5-2 victory in game one of a doubleheader sweep over the Youngstown State softball team (5-17, 2-5 Horizon League). The Guins lost the nightcap, 7-2. UIC improves to 15-21 overall and 6-1 in the Horizon League. Youngstown State jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning after back-to-back doubles by seniors McKenzie Bedra and Jamie Fornal, who went 2-for-3 in each game. UIC pitcher Sarah Clynes allowed just two more hits the rest of the way and struck seven. In the nightcap, UIC scored three runs in the top of the first inning and one in the top of the third to jump ahead, 4-0. Back-to-back doubles by freshman Rochelle Vanyi and sophomore Kristin Bair cut the deficit to 4-1 after three innings. Fornal belted a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth frame to bring the Guins within two, 4-2, but UIC answered with three more run in the top of the fifth to seal the win. YSU and UIC close out the series with a single game, Sunday, at 1 p.m. |
| Bedra, Vanyi Blast Softball to Sweep of Detroit |
| Saturday, April 5 2008 |
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| Detroit, Mich. -- Senior McKenzie Bedra and freshman Rochelle Vanyi each hit their fifth home run of the season as the Youngstown State softball team swept a doubleheader from Detroit, 3-2, and 2-1, on Thursday afternoon. The Penguins improve to 5-15 overall and 2-3 in the Horizon League while Detroit falls to 6-15 overall and 1-5 in the league. In the opener, Bedra blasted a three-run home run in the top of the first inning to give the Guins a 3-0 lead. Sophomore hurler Cheryl Cale picked up her second straight decision scattering 10 hits and striking out four. In the nightcap, Danielle Chase allowed just eight hits and one unearned in a complete-game victory. Vanyi belted a two-run home run in the top of the third inning to the Guins their only runs of the game. YSU hosts UIC in a three-game series, April 5-6, at McCune Park. First pitch on both days is at 1 p.m. |
| Guins Set Hits, Homers Records in Split Against Niagara |
| Thursday, April 3 2008 |
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| Canfield, Ohio -- The Youngstown State softball team set school records for most hits (19) and most home runs (5) in a single game in a 14-6 win over Niagara as the Penguins salvaged a doubleheader split on Tuesday afternoon at McCune Park. The Penguins lost the first game, 10-4. Senior McKenzie Bedra went 3-for-4 with a home run and four runs batted in while senior Jamie Fornal went 3-for-4 with two runs batted in and freshman Rochelle Vanyi banged out three hits, including her fourth home run of the season. Senior Becky Hibner, junior Kristen McDonnell and freshman Katy Potokar also clubbed home runs for the Penguins. Trailing 4-3 in the bottom of the fourth inning, the Penguins used a four-run frame to take a 7-4 edge. Vanyi knotted a game with a single to score Hafley and Hibner gave the Penguins the lead for good with a two-run blast - her first of the year. After a two-run home run by Tory Healy in the top of the fifth, the Penguins added four more runs in the bottom half of the frame and ended the game early with three runs in the bottom of the sixth. The Guins return to Horizon League action when they visit Detroit, Thursday, April 3, at 1 p.m. YSU hosts UIC in a three-game series, April 5-6, at McCune Park. First pitch on both days is at 1 p.m. |